CONFLICT & CONFLICT RESOLUTION

TECHNIQUES and RESOLUTION STYLES

 Definition of Conflict
• Conflict is a process in which an
effort is purposefully made by one
person or a unit to block another
that results in frustrating the
attainment of the other’s goals or
the furthering of one’s interests.

• The discord that arises when goals, interests or values of

different individuals or groups are incompatible with each
other and they block or thwart each other’s efforts to
achieve their objectives.

• It is a process that begins when one party perceives that

another party has negatively affected, or is about to
negatively affect something that the first party cares
-According to Joe Kelly , “Conflict is defined as opposition or
disagreement between persons, groups or ideas.”

-Conflict is inevitable given the wide range of goals for the

different stakeholders in the organization.

-Lack of conflict signals that management emphasizes

conformity and stifles innovation.

-Conflict is good for organizational performance although

excessive conflict causes managers to spend too much time
achieving their own ends.
The Effect of Conflict on Organization Performance
 Stages of Conflict
Latent Stage:
Participants not yet
aware of conflict

Aftermath Stage: Perceived Stage:

Outcome of Conflict,
Resolution or Participants aware
Dissolution a conflict exists

Manifest Stage:
Felt stage:
Conflicts is open and
Stress and Anxiety
can be observed
EXPLANATION…
• Latent Conflict (Stage 1): When two or more parties need each other
to achieve desired objectives, there is a potential for conflict. Latent
conflict often arises when change occurs. Conflict is likely to be
caused by a budget cutback (resource crunch) , a change in
organizational direction, a change in personal goals or the
assignment of a new project to an already overloaded team.
• Perceived Conflict (Stage 2): This is the stage at which members
become aware of a problem. Incompatibility of needs is perceived
and tension begins as the parties being to worry about what will
happen. But noparty feels that it is being overly threatened.
• Felt Conflict (Stage 3): At this stage parties become emotionally
involved and begin to focus on differences of opinion and
opposing interests. Internal tensions and frustration being to
crystallize, and people begin to build and emotional commitment
to their position.
• Manifest Conflict (Stage 4): At this stage parties engage
in actions that help to achieve their own objectives and
ruin those of others. Conflicting behaviors vary from the
subtle, indirect and highly controlled forms of interface
to being
direct, aggressive, violent and uncontrolled struggle. At
the organisational level strikes or lock-outs are the
result.
• Conflict Outcome/Aftermath (Stage 5): The conflict
finally results in an outcome which may be functional or
dysfunctional. If handled well, the result is functional
conflict. If mishandled, the consequences are
dysfunctional conflict.
 CAUSES OF CONFLICT(Could be materialistic,
financial, political in nature or ideological/ non-financial
or both)

MUTUALLY
DIFFERENT VALUES,
DIFFERING
MORES
NEEDS/INTERESTS

DIFFERENT DIFFERENT
PERCEPTION, STRATEGIES,
ATTITUDES POLICIES,
PERSONALITIES,LIFE STRUCTURES,
-STYLES SYSTEMS

DIFFERENT STYLES
(not compatible with the
situation)
LEVEL ONE
1-INTRA-INDIVIDUAL/PERSONAL CONFLICT
A-GOAL RELATED CONFLICTS; a- approach (+ve)-approach (+ve) conflict (equally
attractive two job option/tasks/any object to choose from). Avoidance (- ve)-avoidance (-ve)
conflict; equally unattractive/risky options. Approach (+ve)-Avoidance (-ve) conflict; a plush
job offered in an unwanted location (inalienable package deal; have to accept both aspects,
can’t wish away or trade off the cons for the pros)
B- ROLE RELATED CONFLICTS
Role= Set of expectations of significant other(s) from a person who is supposed to fulfill that
through their role performance/duties
Role privilege/ rewards; My expectations from my supervisor
i- Actual role- perceived role gap leads to ROLE AMBIGUITY CONFLICT
ii- ROLE EXPECTATION (BASED) CONFLICT;
Soln. for i & ii: Role Analysis Technique, Role Clarification, Role Counseling
iii- ROLE OVERLOAD CONFLICT
iv- ROLE EROSION
v- ROLE STAGNATION
vi- ROLE ISOLATION
vii- RESOURCE INADEQUACY
viii- PERSONAL INADEQUACY/CONSTRAINTS
ix- SELF-ROLE DISTANCING
x- INTER ROLE DISTANCE; arising due to playing mutually different roles
xi- MULTI-SENDERS; Different commanders for one performer
II-INTER -INDIVIDUAL/PERSONAL CONFLICT : Conflict arises between two
individuals when they have competition to achieve scarce things such as status , power ,
position , promotion, resources etc. May have clash of values and perception besides
interests. May have personality differences too.
LEVEL TWO
I-INTRA- GROUP CONFLICT : A conflict may arise within the members of a group
leading to affect the group’s performance e.g. , Conflict among senior managers (Horizontal
conflict; within a particular level; among peers); Vertical conflict (within a department over
status, rewards, resources, appointments, authority distribution. Also due to lack of shared
perception, different interests, inadequate communication etc.)
II-INTER- GROUP CONFLICT : A conflict may arise out of interaction of various
groups. Between two departments/ two levels of an organization.
Sources:
i- Incompatible goals .g., B/W marketing and production departments
ii- Task interdependence;
a- Pooled Interdependence e.g., many groups/batches consisting of different individuals
contributing together to the final outcome
b- Serial Interdependence e.g., Plant A-Plant B
c- Reciprocal Interdependence e.g., Among nurses, surgeons and other support staff
iii- Resource Allocation
iv- Competitive Incentives and Reward Systems (Individual assessment vs. group
Assessment; in case of the latter there could be a conflict between groups to get better
grades and rewards)
v-Line and Staff Conflict; Conflict between main decision makers and research/ data
support staff
LEVEL THREE
I-INTRA-ORGANISATIONAL CONFLICT : A conflict between various levels and
departments but within the confines of a particular organisation:
• Horizontal conflicts
• Vertical conflicts
• Conflict between head office and manufacturing unit within the same organization
• Conflict within a large trade union operating at different locations or conflict between
different trade unions belonging to the same organisation
•Conflict between various groups of shareholders belonging to the same organization
II-INTER-ORGANISATONAL CONFLICT : A conflict between two different
organisations, also conflict between Management vs. Government, inter-union conflicts,
Union vs. Government, and Union vs. Management among others
 SOURCES OF
ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT
Further Causes of Organizational Conflict
Managerial Expectations: Every employee is expected to meet the
targets, imposed by his/her superior and when these expectations
are misunderstood or not fulfilled within the stipulated time,
conflicts arises.
Communication Disruption: One of the major cause of conflict at
the workplace is disruption in the communication, i.e. if one
employee requires certain information from another, who does not
respond properly, conflict sparks in the organization.
Misunderstanding: Misunderstanding of information, can also
alleviate dispute in organization, in the sense that if one person
misinterpret some information, it can lead to series of conflicts.
Lack of accountability: If in a project, responsibilities are not clear
and some mistake has arisen, of which no member of the team wants
to take responsibility can also become a cause of conflict in the
organization.
The causes of organizational conflict are to be known, to resolve
them as early as possible, because it hinders the efficiency,
effectiveness and productivity of the employees and the organization
as well, which ultimately hampers its success.
CONFLICT STIMULATION TECHNIQUES
1- Communication ; make fear appeal to reduce group conflict
2- Bringing in outsiders
3- Restructuring the organization
4- Encouraging competition
5-Appointing a devil’s advocate
CONFLICT RESOLUTION- STRUCTURAL TECHNIQUES
1- Dominance through power position; become or create a conflict sponge, or separate the groups physically
2- Create / activate appeal procedure/ grievance redressal system; appeal to boss’s boss
3- Third part consultancy/ Arbitration/Mediation (by invoking official or informal authorities)
4- Member rotation- Increased sensitivity and empathy may reduce conflict, also through role reversal
5- Reduce interdependence- decoupling technique
6- Create Super-ordinate goals i.e., by combating a common enemy

1. Problem Solving
2. Super ordinate Goals
3. Expansion Of Resources
4. Avoidance
5. Smoothing
6. Compromise
7. Authoritative Command
8. Altering The Human Variable
9. Altering the structural variables
TOMAS – KILMAN
THEORY

This theory was coined by Kenneth W. Thomas and Ralph H. Kilman in the year 1972.
They observe that conflict is everywhere. No person/group/ organization/ can get rid of it. You can’t deny this as people behave in a different manner in
different situations. No two people/groups behave the same way , and everybody has got a different way of behaving especially when conflict occurs
between/ among themselves due to their mutual differences over their mutual interests/ ideologies etc.
The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI) assesses an individual’s behavior in conflict situations—that is, situations in which the concerns of
two people appear to be incompatible. In conflict situations, we can describe a person’s behavior along two basic dimensions*: (1) assertiveness, the extent to
which the individual attempts to satisfy his or her own concerns, and (2) cooperativeness, the extent to which the individual attempts to satisfy the other
person’s concerns.
In conflict situations, we can describe a person’s behavior along two basic dimensions:
(1) Assertiveness, the extent to which the individual attempts to satisfy his or her own concerns
(2) Cooperativeness, the extent to which the individual attempts to satisfy the other person’s concerns.
These two dimensions of behavior can be used to define five methods of dealing with conflict.

We will understand with the help of figures:-

 COOPERATIVENE
SS

ASSERTIVENES
COLLABORATING STYLE : (WIN- WIN APPROACH; I AM OK –YOU ARE OK; NON-ZERO
SUM GAME)

Collaborating is both assertive and cooperative. It involves digging into an issue to identify the
underlying concerns of the two individuals and to find an alternative that meets both sets of
concerns. Collaborating between two persons might take the form of exploring a disagreement to
learn from each other’s insights, resolving some condition that would otherwise have them competing
for resources, or confronting and trying to find a creative solution to an interpersonal problem.

 Problem solving; Adopt a Win-Win approach leading to a win-win outcome

Expand range of possible options, develop a mutually benefitting and complementary approach and
depersonalize the issues

USES:
 When you need to find an integrative solution and the concerns of both parties are too important to be
compromised
 When your objective is to learn and you wish to test your assumptions and understand others' views
 When you want to merge insights from people with different perspectives on a problem
 When you want to gain commitment by incorporating others’ concerns into a consensual decision
 When you need to work through hard feelings that have been interfering with a relationship
ACCOMMODATING STYLE (WINSOME-LOSESOME APPROACH; I AM NOT OK ,
YOU ARE OK; SMOOTHING);
Accommodating is unassertive and cooperative—the opposite of competing. When
accommodating, an individual neglects his or her own concerns to satisfy the concerns of
the other person; there is an element of self-sacrifice in this mode. Accommodating might
take the form of selfless generosity or charity, obeying another person’s order when you would
prefer not to, or yielding to another’s point of view.

Reduce Assertiveness and increase Cooperativeness

Emphasize common interests, and de-emphasize mutual differences; could be very handy to
achieve peace and mutual harmony in immediate and short-term and buy out time to work on
mutual difference later on.
USES:
When you realize that you are wrong—to allow a better solution to be considered, to learn
from others, and to show that you are reasonable
When the issue is much more important to the other person than it is to you—to satisfy the
needs of others and as a goodwill gesture to help maintain a cooperative relationship
When preserving harmony and avoiding disruption are especially important
 When you want to help your employees develop by allowing them to learn from their
mistakes
AVOIDANCE STYLE (A DEFERMENT TECHNIQUE; I AM NOT OK-YOU
ARE NOT OK; but not telling that to the other party)

Avoiding is unassertive and uncooperative. When avoiding, an individual does not

immediately pursue his or her own concerns or those of the other person. He or she
does not address the conflict. Avoiding might take the form of diplomatically
sidestepping an issue, postponing an issue until a better time, or simply
withdrawing from a threatening situation.
Basically, a WITHDRAWAL or an evasive approach when mutual differences are not
getting resolved but you are ignoring it coz that might not be very vital for you or even
it is you are trying to evade negative or unhealthy conflict/ competition/confrontation
as long as possible and to protect your core interest/ideology.
USES:
When an issue is unimportant or when other, more important issues are pressing.
When you perceive no chance of satisfying your concerns—for example, when you
have low power or you are frustrated by something that would be very difficult to
change.
 When the potential costs of confronting a conflict outweigh the benefits of its
resolution When you need to let people cool down—to reduce tensions to a
productive level and to regain perspective and composure.
COMPETITION (DOMINANCE STYLE): WIN/LOSE APPROACH IN POWER
STRUGGLES; ZERO-SUM GAME OR ZERO-SUM ORIENTATION; I AM OK –YOU
ARE NOT OK

Competing is assertive and uncooperative, a power-oriented mode. When competing, an

individual pursues his or her own concerns at the other person’s expense, using whatever
power seems appropriate to win his or her position. Competing might mean standing up for
your rights, defending a position you believe is correct, or simply trying to win

-Not constructive in the long run if it is an unhealthy conflict

But , best when there is no resolution and you can’t safeguard your core/ basic
interest/ideology and existence even after adopting an ‘avoidance’ approach; best when the
other party/individual is not coming around at all
-It is best also when managers want to generate quick results
USES:
-When quick, decisive action is vital—for example, in an emergency On important issues
-when unpopular courses of action need implementing—for example, cost cutting, enforcing
unpopular rules, discipline
On issues vital to company welfare
-when you know you’re right
-When you need to protect yourself from people who take advantage of noncompetitive
behavior
COMPROMISE (MUTUALLY LOSE-LOSE APPROACH)
Compromising is intermediate in both assertiveness and cooperativeness. When
compromising, the objective is to find an convenient, mutually acceptable solution that
partially satisfies both parties. Compromising falls on a middle ground between
competing and accommodating, giving up more than competing but less than
accommodating. Likewise, it addresses an issue more directly than avoiding but doesn’t
explore it in as much depth as collaborating. Compromising might mean splitting the
difference, exchanging concessions, or seeking a quick middle-ground position

-Reach a minimally acceptable/ standard deal to both parties basically to avoid further
losses due to ongoing negative conflict
It is however an uneasy peace ; both parties may use this phase to re- attack each other
Uses:
-When goals are moderately important but not worth the effort or the potential
disruption involved in using more assertive modes
-When two opponents with equal power are strongly committed to mutually exclusive
goals—as in labor–management bargaining
-When you want to achieve a temporary settlement of a complex issue
-When you need to arrive at an expedient solution under time pressure
As a backup mode when collaboration or competition fails